Territory



(No Model!) O T. W. MOORE.

SPLINT FABRIC FOR CHAIRS AND OTHER ARTICLES.

No. 323,060. v Patented July 28, 1885.

WITNEE5E5-- Y Y INVENTOR.

N. PETERS. Photo-Ulhcgrqphur, Washington. 0.0.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICEO THOMAS \V. MOORE, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO H. PHILIP MOORE, OF PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

SPLINT FABRIC FOR Cl -lAlRS AND OTHER ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,060, dated July 28,1885.

Application filed October 13, 1884.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Splint Fabrics for Chairs and Other Articles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improvement of woven-splint fabrics for chair and other seats and backs and for other articles, by making the same of splints which are oval orelliptic, or substantially so, in cross-section-that is to say, having edges both sides of which are tapered substantially in the form of an ellipse, which enables the splints to bear on each other where they cross throughout the whole area of the surfaces of the crossing parts, or substantially so also enables the fabrics to be woven closer and more compactly; also enables a greater amount of material to be used in a given breadth of splint, and also makes a neater fabric and of greater strength for the same breadth of splints than may be made of splints of theforms commonly used. Theform of the splints is also more favorable to the making of them from tough oak, hickory, and other like homogeneous timber by drawing them through dies for dressing them to shape, particularly in finishing and smoothing them, than the flat form in which they are commonly riven of laminate wood.

While the form of the splint which Ipropose to make is most beneficial, and is seen to best advantage when the splints are woven alternately over and under each other, it is also bettcrthan other forms whenwoven so that each splint crosses'over two or more splints together, which is a common form of weaving such fabrics, and is included in the improved fabric which I claim, all as hereinafter fully described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is aplan view of my improved fabric in which the splints are woven alternately over and under each other. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 on line as a. Fig. 3 is a plan view of vsaid fabric in which the splints are crossed over and under two others together, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of Fig. 3 on the line 3 y. Rattan splints, also such metal splints or strands as have been heretofore made, have 1 these fabrics.

(No model.)

one flat side, and all wood splints heretofore used for chair-seat and otherlike woven fabrics have been made flat on both sides. This form makes angular edges, over which the crossing splints bend, and said edges also bend to the pressure of the crossing splints, so that practically the two splints only bear on each other at four points of the corners of their edges, which will be best understood by placing-two flat bent strips crosswise with the concave sides together. It is evident that such local angular bearings are not calculated to render the fabrics lasting nor to make as neat and symmetrical fabrics as is desirable. I therefore propose to employ splints a for such fabrics, made substantially in the form shown in Figs.

2 and 4.that is to say, having both sides made in the form of the sides of an ellipse, or substantially so, by which they have uniform taper at the edges with due increase of thickness of the middle section, over which each splint bends at the crossing,so that substantially the whole area of the crossing portions of the splints conform to and bear on each other when they are woven alternately, and proportionately so when woven across two or more together, as it is sometimes preferred to weave This renders my improved fabric superior to any of the kind heretofore made, because the splints have large and uniform bearings on each other, and are not exposed to any abrupt angular bends, such as the splints of the common form are subject to,which make the seats uneven and cause the splints to break in use.- The splints contain more material for a given breadth, and therefore make more substantial and durable fabrics, and the fabrics are more solid and compact in consequence of greater conformity of the splints in the bearing portions.

The same improvement also renders my improved fabric superior to others,in that it has a finer appearance on account of greater uniformity and closer texture,which the splints of this form produce. The fabric also has a finer appearing grade of splint for a given amount of material, because the splints are proportionately narrower and thicker. For this form of splint I propose to employ the tougher and more homogeneous ti1nber--such as oak,hickory, white ash, and the like-that may be finished by being drawn to the desired form in dieplates rather than thelaminated woods that rive in their flat layers, forming the common woodsplint-s, thus enabling the splints to be made of more durable material. The thin flat wood splints heretofore employed have not made satisfactory chair-seats, and are used but little, preference being given to theneater but much more expensive cane-seats.

My object is to make even more handsome 10 and durable seats with Wood splints of the improved form herein described and of the kind of timber specified than can be made of cane, thus enabling our abundant and cheap domestie material to be used rather than the expen- 1 sive foreign goods; and I expect to make them much cheaper with the aid of well-contrived mechanism for preparing the splints for being before stated.

The splints may be steamed, if desired, to ren- 2o der them more pliable for weaving compactly.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The improved Woven-splint fabric herein described for chair-seats and other articles, 25 both the warp and filling of which consist of splints having oval orelliptic edges-that is to say, both sides of both edges made substantially in the form of the sides of an ellipse.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed 0 my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS V. MOORE.

Witnesses:

W. J. MORGAN, S. H. MoRGAN. 

